Customized Instruction: A Recipe for Success

Customized Instruction: A Recipe for Success

Customized Instruction

The right education will prove to be a valuable asset to every child who receives one. However, many children pass through school to graduation without actually learning what they are supposed to learn. The scandal that occurred in the Atlanta school district where several educators manipulated student scores so that the students would be eligible to move to the next level is probably more prevalent than we know. Why is this a problem in the public school system? For one thing, some school administrators reward teachers who have the most students with the best scores. In addition, some state and federal funding rely on student achievement. This means that teachers are under a lot of pressure to make sure their students achieve results whether they actually make progress or not. Realistically, this isn’t possible unless the teacher happens to get a classroom full of similar students. In other words, if the students all learn in the same manner and are at the same level, then the teacher will have more success. However, this is rarely the case. Here are three ways a customized curriculum helps students find success.

Focuses on learning style

All students have a particular way they learn. Some learn through reading, others by hearing, and some students need to touch and do before they understand the information. Most students do best if they have a combination of all three but are dominant in one area over the others. When teachers have the ability to customize the instruction, they can take into consideration what the student’s preferred learning style is and shape the material to match that. For example, if the student is a visual learner, then the teacher can use more visuals to illustrate the lessons. If a student is a kinesthetic learner, meaning a hands-on learner, then the teacher can implement “doing” activities to solidify the material. Customization allows for a variety of approaches that isn’t possible with a boxed curriculum.

Modify as you go

Sometimes during the course of instruction, a teacher may discover that the material needs to be modified in some way. Maybe there is a gap in the student’s understanding, which makes the material difficult or impossible to grasp. With customized instruction, the teacher can add lessons to fill in the missing information before moving back to the material. Students end up with a more comprehensive understanding of the material by the end of the school year

Syncs with the student’s pace

Teachers in a traditional classroom cannot pace their teaching according to the student’s ability. How could they when they may have 30 students in the classroom. If they slow down for ten students, there may be another five who need to speed up and the rest may be at the right speed. It makes it impossible to cater to even ten students who aren’t comfortable with the pace of the instruction let alone one student. However, part of the beauty of a customized approach is that the teacher can and does slow down and speed up the pace based on the student’s ability. In settings where a customized curriculum is permissible (private schools), there is not the high teacher-student ratio. That’s why it is possible to sync the curriculum with the student pace.

Providing your child with an education that is customized will ensure he/she truly grasps the material and is able to move forward. This approach allows the teacher and student to work together in harmony instead of the teacher simply pushing ahead with an agenda that may not serve your child. At The Tenney School, we understand the value of customized instruction because every child is unique and deserves an education that is unique as well. For more information about our customized programs, contact us today.